Cooling apparatus



Oct. 1,8, 1932. E. BURHORN COOLING APPARATUS Filed ly 15. 1930 E .www .gym

INVENTOR: gauw: Bmw/w BY MJL/MAM] `\5Qcz.-..\1l,\,ml l ATTORNEYS.

Patented Oct. 18, 1932 i nnwinnumonmfon HoB'oxEN, NEW JERSEY lk, cooniiv'e. nrrAnATUs -A'pliiictioa mea may 1a,

|lhis invention is a novel cooling appara tus, and relates primarilytothejcooling of water for condensing, refrgerating or analogous purposes." Instances of the use of the invention are, for oiiice or dwelling buildings containing power :or krefrigerating plants and with Ventilating systems, `and wherein the exhausted yor stale air isdrawn `prove from the building and discharged into outside atmosphere.A The general object of the present invention is to aiford increased eiicieiicy of cooling action and economy of operation. A Ypar-A ticular purpose is to utilize the dischargeV or outgoing draft of a Ventilating system to imthe action of a water cooling appara,- tus or tower. @ther `and further objectsand advantages of theinvention will-V appear in the hereinafter following description of an illustrative embodiment thereof or will be understood by those conversant with the sub- 'ect. ,Y y i Y J To the attainment of suchiobjects and advantages the present invention consists in the novel cooling apparatus -and the novel features of method, operation, arrangement and construction herein illustrated or'def scribed.

50 i traverse'the tower and thereby' afford Vfa a In the accompanying drawing the ,single ligure is a more or less diagrammatic illusf tration, partly in elevation and partly in vertical section, of a building provided with the features of this invention.`V

ln one aspect the invention may be de" scribed as a combination comprising a cooling tower, walls laterally enclosing the towerfor vertical or upward circulation of air through the tower, a water distributor atxthe top of the tower, the saine fed by" a pipe from the condensing or refrigerating system to be cooled by the water, with a kvessel at the bot'- tom of the tower for collecting .the cooled water and the pipe therefrom to'thesystem to be cooled by the water,`alo`ngwith an air -duct of a ventilatingsystem 'connected into circulation with the cooling towerwithin its enclosing walls, Vwhereby the. exhaust air from the Ventilating system is'compelled to located at the top ofthe building, t t i 1 A cooling towerof this general structure is of October 22,

ieo. seriai No. 451,940.

forcedcirculation and continuous cooling action, such as is not availablewith cooling towersk operated solely by natural air move-` ments.- Y v l In the illustrated embodiment of the invention a building is indicated by its frame.v l

members 4 and roof structure 5`,.above which is a cooling tower`6 that may be constructed ofupright franie'inembers 7 interconnected at the top by cross members 8. A water distributingpipe 9 is shown at the Vtop of the tower bringing the hot water toa point whence it may be showered down through thel tower for cooling actions. Preferably the distributed water is irst caught by a prelimi# nary 'or distributing .deck composed of troughs 10 which `may have notched edges 11 for overflow at designated'points, the descent then passing by gravity to successive'cooling decks, each composed for example vof deck beams 12 constituting parts of the towerwith overlyingdeck members,` troughs or slats 13 arranged to receive the descendin water, de-

vlay its descent, redistribute it, an passit on to the next deckbelow, the slats in successive decks being preferably at relative right angles. f

` The between deckspaces may be designated l 'as the space 14 between the troughdeck 10 'f and the first slat deck,.the space 15 between the last mentioned deck and the one beneath, and the spaces 16, 17 etc., as far asthe system may be carried, to a final space 18 below the lowermost deck, throughV which the water descends to a suitableicollecting vessel 19fat the foot of the tower.

shown in myv Patent No. 1,490,254. of April 15, 1924, where the water is sprayed by a suc-Y 9 -cession of upwardly directed jets through the height of the tower. Or the tower mightbe of the type shown in' my Patent No. 1,7 32,963 1929, wherein the condenser is located in the tower space 18 ratherithanf at removed position as herein disclosed. yl

through a tower of other form suoli as In the drawing hereof the cooled water is shown taken from the collecting vessel 19 by a water pipe 2O leading to the condensing or refrigerating apparatus, as will be described, and thence to a water pump 21 which forces the water toascend by return pipe 22 to the tower or to the distributor 9 thereof.

This invention in its preferred form coinprises a system of closed walls 28 surrounding Vthe cooling tower so as to prevent natural air currents passing therethrough, and permit vertical circulation instead. I prefera coinbined arrangement wherein the enclosing walls 23 are shorter than the height of the tower 6, so that a substantial part of the tower stands up above the enclosing walls to be acted onby natural air currents. By this invention the cooling tower is to be operated by the use of the exhaust of the Ventilating system, either wholly,"or in combination with natural draft at a portion of the tower.

I The enclosing walls 23 are shown spaced away from the tower at two opposite sides thereof, but they need not'be so spaced at the other two sides, where the walls may be built substantially in contact with the cooling decks. This arrangement permits a to and fro air circulation as will next be described.

:One venclosing wall 23 is provided with an air inlet opening 24 delivering forced circulation into the tower, preferably at its lower part, although this might be reversed. Y Such air is compelled to enter the tower space 18 Aby reason of a bai'iie 25 extending from the tower to the enclosing` Awalls above the inlet 24, such baffle being a substantial continuation of the lowermost cooling. decks.V After traversing the space 18 tlieiair ascends at the opposite side and thence back through the space 17 of the tower, being so compelled by a bathe 26 at the left side between the enclosing wall and the next lowest cooling deck. A similar baffle 27 at a higher level atthe right compels the air to pass leftward through the tower space 16. This air, ascending at the left, may either pass out left-ward, between the top of the enclosing wall and a final bathe 28, or may travel horizontally through the tower space 15 tothe right and thence out to the atmosphere, depending on the direction of natural air flow surrounding the tower.

It will be understood that a substantial volume of exhaust air is in continuous iiow through the tower as described, or vertically Patent No. 1,490,254. As disclosed, the character of the cooling decksrpermits also a substantial quantity of air to percolate upward through eachdeck, thus running counter to the water trickling downward through the same openings and accentuating the cooling action. A bove the top of the wall 23, and from the distributor 9 down to this point, the descending water is subject to the cooling actionV of natural'air drafts, thus giving a preliminary tributorat the top cooling before the water is subjected to the forced air circulation as described.

The exhaust Ventilating air may be conducted to the enclosing wall opening 24 by means of an air conduit 29 carrying the outgoing air in any desired arrangement. For example, there may be a suction fan 30 drawing the exhausted air through a vertical duct or flue 31 which may have connections throughout the building for extracting stale air. The outgoing air is usually regulated in temperature and humidity so that it gives a highly efficient cooling action, due to its continuous supply and substantially rapid travel in volume through the tower.

It is possible with this invention to vary the extent or proportion of cooling in the tower done by natural air drafts, as compared with the forced draft of exhaust air. For example removableA wall sections may be arranged to be added to or subtracted from the wall 23 to change its height in relation to the tower, which may be constructed taller than shown. and with as many decks as desired, or other distributing means, within this invention.

The complete embodiment of this invention may be disclosed by referring next to the condensing or refrigerating apparatus, which is illustrative of analogous apparatuses. A condenser 32 is shown which may be the con denser of a refrigerating plant. It is supplied by the water pipe 2O for cooling purposes and delivers the warmed water to the pump 21. As illustrative of a refrigerating system the condenser-32 may deliver condensed refrigerant, as ammonia, to a receiving vessel from which the ammonia may be expanded through avalve to expansion coils wherein heat is ex- .tracted by` a surrounding medium, the refrigerant thence passing to a compressor which pumps -it under pressure back to the condenser, in accordance with the ammonia compression system of refrigeration.

VNot only isaV considerable saving of water effected by the described system, but power is saved since the same power apparatus which causes the circulation of air through the building serves also to cause circulation through the tower for cooling the tower water.

`It will thus be seen that a water cooling apparatus has been described embodying the principles and attaining the objects of the `present invention; but as certain matters of method, operation, arrangement or construction may be variously modified, it is not intended to limit the invention to such matters except to the extent set forth in the appended claims.

What'is claimed is:

1. In combination, a water cooling tower, having superposed cooling decks, a water disof the tower, walls laterally enclosing the lower part of the tower,

. the upper part of the tower being extended 1 above the enclosing walls for cooling by natuf ral air currents ofthe decending water, a l

vessel at the bottom lofthe tower receiving `tlie'cooled water, anl air pipe conducting eX- haust air into the bottoinof the tower within its enclosing walls, and means compelling the exhaust air to traverse the between-deck spaces, back and forth, trending upwardly, with final discharge to atmosphere.

2. In combination,na;water cooling tower,

having superposed cooling decks,water supply means at the top, walls laterally enclosing the lower part 0f the tower, the tower being f extended above the walls for cooling thie water by natural air currents, a'vessel atthe bottom of thek tower receiving the cooled water, means Vsupplying air for circulation through the lower part of the tower within its enclosing walls, and means compelling the supplied air to traverse the between-deck spaces, to atmosphere. Y n

3. In combination, a water cooling tower having spaced apart cooling decks, walls laterally enclosingV the tower, for vertical circulation of air, awater pipe from a system to be cooled, a water distributor at the top of the tower, fed by said pipe, a vessel at the bottom of the tower for collecting the cooled water, a vpipe from said vessel tothe system to be cooled, an air duct operating under forced circulation and forcing air continuk ously into the cooling tower to pass through the saine within its enclosing walls and thence to waste, and means within and constituting part of the tower for compelling the air to traverse the tower in back and forth manner between the successive cooling decks.

4. In combination, a cooling tower, having superposed cooling `decks,walls laterally enclosing a portion only of the height of the tower, a water distributor at the top of the tower, a vessel at the bottom of the tower receiving the cooled water, an air discharge duct of a ventilatingsystem conducting eX- haust air under forced circulation into the enclosed end of the tower within its enclosingwalls, with means compelling the exhaust air Y 'y to traverse the between-deck spaces, back and f forth, within such walls, with final discharge to atmosphere at the unenclosed portion of the tower.

In testimony whereof,

been duly signed by:

Y EDWIN BURHORN.

this specification has back and forth,vwith final discharge K Y 

